With a massive influx of people fleeing drought and famine in the Horn of Africa large amounts of emergency aid and shelter is needed for the refugees. A newly developed type of shelter made by bamboo from Ethiopia and built according to local traditions, is now being introduced by the Danish Refugee Council in Dolo Ado in the southern part of the country – a kind of shelter, which may prove to become far more common in the Horn of Africa.

Tens of thousands of refugees from Somalia have crossed the border to Ethiopia fleeing drought and famine – and more are coming. Dolo Ado in southern Ethiopia is among the areas trying to cope with the massive influx of refugees in need of aid and shelter. The Danish Refugee Council is one of the international organizations establishing and expanding the refugee camps in cooperation with the UNHCR. Right now, thousands of tents are pitched for the newly arrived refugees there. In several locations future tents are to be replaced by a new type of shelter.

"We have worked with Ethiopia’s largest university in Addis Ababa to create better and more durable housing as part of our relief effort. Over the past year, we have developed a new type of shelter inspired by local housing traditions and using bamboo which is widespread in Ethiopia. Now, we are in the process of introducing the bamboo shelter in several settlements instead of using the tents from UNHCR. Initially, we will set up 450 bamboo shelter and as soon as we have the financial support we will pitch 2,000 additional," says Jens Pake, a regional shelter advisor with the Danish Refugee Council in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

The white tarpaulin tents from UNHCR spread across barren lands is the sight that one would normally be met by in Dolo Ado. A well-known sight in areas hit by crisis and conflict around the world – including in the Horn of Africa currently experiencing the largest humanitarian emergency situation.         

The shelter will be home to refugees for as long as the drought and famine prevents them from returning to their places of origin. The standardized shelter is made of synthetic material and is used in all responses to humanitarian crisis when interim housing is needed. However, the shelter does often not meet the requirement for areas characterized by harsh weather conditions and with high temperatures making them unbearable to live inside.

"In the midst of this growing humanitarian crisis it is crucial that we ensure a timely delivery of emergency aid, and not least, that we look into ways of optimizing relief efforts. Our immediate objective is targeting those in acute need of assistance, but also to assist host communities and local communities in the region where we aim to increase income-generating opportunities and improve livelihoods. And here shelter of bamboo can prove to be a solution that can be usefully extended to other places in the region where the refugees are in need of housing," says Peter Klansoe, regional director for the Danish Refugee Council in the Horn of Africa and Yemen.

Ethiopia is estimated to account for 67% of the total bamboo production in Africa where it is a widespread and rapidly growing material. Harvesting it correctly and treated, making it resistant to termites, it can be used for homes that can be expanded and last for several years. In addition, they are less than half of the usual tents of tarpaulin, and can be disassembled and brought along when the refugees return home. The development of the new shelter types in Ethiopia is financed through the Danish Refugee Council\s own funds and with the support of Danida and by Swedish SIDA.   

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